Vidyut Jammwal says he bagged Street Fighter without an agent, lauds Priyanka Chopra’s global impact and 'what she has done for the country’

Vidyut Jammwal will make his Hollywood debut as Dhalsim in the live-action Street Fighter film, directed by Kitao Sakurai.

Vidyut Jammwal will make his Hollywood debut in Kitao Sakurai’s Street Fighter as Dhalsim, the iconic character from the popular video game franchise. Ahead of the film’s release, the actor opened up about how he bagged the role in the live-action adaptation, revealing that he neither hired an agent in Hollywood nor actively looked for opportunities there. Instead, it was the director’s research into the character that led him to Vidyut.

Vidyut Jammwal in a still from Street Fighter.

Vidyut Jammwal landed Street Fighter role without an agent in Hollywood

Speaking to News18, Vidyut shared that the film’s Japanese-American director, Kitao Sakurai, knows India well. He explained how the filmmaker’s research for the characters eventually led him to the actor, and how the role came his way after an audition and several conversations.

“Kitao’s very passionate and he was very sure about the eleven main fighters in the film. His research is what led him to me, and that’s what destiny has done. I got a call from these guys and I got to speak to the director. We had a lot of chats, but before he had a conversation with me, he had watched most of my interviews and a lot of my movies. To have a conversation with someone who’s so well-prepared about what he’s looking for, made me feel I’m in safe hand,” he said.

Vidyut Jammwal on Priyanka Chopra’s success in Hollywood

Vidyut also spoke about opportunities for Indian actors in Hollywood, especially as several Indian stars, including Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Dhanush and Randeep Hooda, have appeared in international productions. He gave a special mention to Priyanka Chopra and the impact her work in Hollywood has had on Indian cinema.

When asked whether more Indian actors starring in Hollywood films could lead to more opportunities for others from the country, Vidyut said, “I can’t vouch for that but it could be possible. India’s already on the global map. People know india so well. All these actors I worked with on Street Fighter have been to India several times. The director is Japanese-American and he knows about our country more than many Indians do. He’s one of the few people I’ve met, who can pronounce the martial art (kalaripayattu) that I do with brilliance. These guys already know about it. But I can mention Priyanka Chopra for sure. What she has done for the country is incredible in terms of cinema."

About Street Fighter

Street Fighter is an upcoming live-action action film directed by Kitao Sakurai and based on Capcom’s popular video game franchise of the same name. Vidyut plays Dhalsim, the Indian yoga master and warrior known to fans of the video games for his distinctive fighting style.